Sunday, February 26, 2006
Sunning Julia Heliconian Butterfly

Took a while to get him to say cheese! :-D

Thursday, December 29, 2005
Julia Marigold

I like the way he matches the flower, almost like camouflage.

Monday, November 21, 2005
Another point of view

Like yesterday this is another image that was taken at the same time as a completely different looking shot of a similar subject. Although in this case it is not the exact same subject, you can see that changing only the angle and the view in the background give them a completely different feel.

Tuesday, October 11, 2005
Butterfly

I don't think he was actually eating from these flowers, he was just hanging out, literally.

Thursday, September 15, 2005
Abstract Julia

The filters I use to take my close-ups are a combination of several lenses. This particular combination gives me an extremely low aperture, so there is only a very specific distance that is in focus. In this case only a couple of millimeters.

The effect ends up looking like a painting, especially when enlarged.

Thursday, September 8, 2005
Julia Heliconian

Yesterday I went back to the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History. It is almost the end of the butterfly season there. Each year for the past few years they have had a live butterfly exhibit called "Butterflies Alive". Something that is done other places too, but from what I have seen their exhibit is particularly nice.

In addition to getting some shots I am very happy with, I was finally able to identify this guy. He is from Texas or Northern Mexico. And, I found out that it was not that they are not documented well online, it is just that I did not recognize the images on the butterfly sites. Most of the images are taken with the wings stretched out making them look more of a classic butterfly shape. But, with the exception of a few basking in the sun, they seem to rarely hold their wings that way. They have a more stealth appearance in real life.

Tuesday, August 30, 2005
Basking Butterfly

At one point I knew what kind of butterfly this was. But it's name escapes me at the moment. And, if you have ever searched the Internet for butterflies you know there are about a million different kinds which makes identification a bit difficult.

Saturday, August 27, 2005
Posing Butterfly

This guy was posing so nicely. I particularly like the color of the leaves he is perched on. They go nice with his wings.

Thursday, July 14, 2005
Natural History on the Wing

The Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History has a wonderful exhibit right now called "Butterflies Alive". It is basically a giant tent with thousands of live butterflies in it that you can actually walk through. It's really a great experience!